Dycus and Meade's PGH TN's Roundtable Discussions: 3A-Region 4

<img src="https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/3AxXRGBMM0MKG8fM4y8m6J_mr0FHwMQHotTw06vgCN2aWzvrviAmqfZAxK_eosc8t_vIBAOblOrCeEhkQ318KXdwjjfYF9H4Xdx7exhFETmzpDP-SNXL2F_gc1TOWauLgzlBxHms_vFzEgJKDQ95fwM" width="300" height="258">   Region MVP   Dycus:   [player_tooltip player_id='245357' first='Celeste' last='Reed'], ‘24, White County – I had to go with the best player on the best team. She was their “go-to” scorer all season long when they needed a big bucket.  She battled on the glass, defended the rim, was an emotional leader on what I thought was the best 3A team in the state during the regular season.   Dycus Honorable Mention List:    [player_tooltip player_id='804740' first='Bella' last='Mullins'], ‘24, Upperman – I thought #4 was the most important player on the floor for Upperman in their run to a state championship.  Big respect to this kid's play as a senior leader.  She may not have been the most talented player for Upperman, but I thought she was their most important player for what they did.   [player_tooltip player_id='245354' first='Addison' last='Melton'], ‘24, Central Magnet – The senior guard, and Lipscomb commit, put together a great senior season….and career.  She ended her four years as Central's all time leading scorer (1,969 career points), AND their all time leading rebounder (825).     Meade:   [player_tooltip player_id='631094' first='Ellie' last='Butler'], ‘25. Livingston Academy- The 5'10 guard is truly special! She finished her junior season with 635 points, 185 rebounds, 53 assists, & 69 steals. Butler is one of the top athletes in our state regardless of class! I love the leadership that she has shown. Ellie has proven time and time again that she will never shy away from the big moments. I watched this one take over numerous games offensively and defensively! She's worthy of any MVP talk!    Region Most Improved Player   Dycus:   [player_tooltip player_id='636393' first='Ava' last='Jones'], ‘25, White County – The junior simply is getting better and better by the minute.  She's always had the size, agility and athleticism to be special on the defensive end.  And indeed, she was the District's Defensive POY and is already a college level defender.  She added offensive components to her game this year, as she leveled up during the season, culminating in winning the District Tournament MVP.   [player_tooltip player_id='631094' first='Ellie' last='Butler'], ‘25, Livingston– Butler has always been known for getting buckets, but I saw her get noticeably better this year in both 1) reading how she was being guarded and making the appropriate pass quickly, and 2) staying locked in defensively and on the glass.  She's one of the best scorers in the state, but became a more versatile player this year as she learning to impact the game in more ways than scoring.  Love this kid's game.   Meade:   Bella Stiles, ‘24, Upperman- Stiles was a crucial piece for Upperman's success. She makes the correct plays and the winning plays! Bella is an athlete with a non-stop motor. You never have to question the effort that Stiles plays with. A good defender! Campbellsville is getting a good one!    Region Freshman of the Year:   Dycus:   [player_tooltip player_id='818264' first='Sydney' last='Wilhite'], ‘27, Cumberland County – Easy one here, as Wilhite was a top 5 player in the district as a freshman.  She's was a big time scorer all year, and is probably a top shooter in the state already (regardless of class).  The sky's the limit for her.   Dycus Honorable Mention: [player_tooltip player_id='821680' first='Lauren' last='Clark'], ‘27, Cumberland County   Meade:    I can't give the freshman of the year to only one athlete. Co-FOY (Co-Freshmen of the Year) - [player_tooltip player_id='818264' first='Sydney' last='Wilhite'] & [player_tooltip player_id='821680' first='Lauren' last='Clark'], ‘27 Cumberland County. Wilhite and Clark are two completely different players. Clark is the versatile athlete that you can truly plug in any position. She makes things happen! Just ask her teammates & Sydney. Now, Sydney is definitely a top shooter. Wilhite has added more to her overall game too. BOTH defend. BOTH are extremely basketball savvy. BOTH are next level athletes. The future is extremely bright for both of these young ladies!    District's Players to Watch Next Season   Dycus:   ***I could honestly put about 20 players on this!  This region is LOADED with young returning talent!   [player_tooltip player_id='816649' first='Gracie' last='Butler'], ‘26, Upperman – Showed so much promise this season for Upperman, and was their best player at times.  With [player_tooltip player_id='804740' first='Bella' last='Mullins'] graduating, Butler will assume a much bigger role next year.   Aaliyah Hawkins, ‘25, Cumberland County – I think she's one of the more underrated PG's in the state, and if she works as hard as I think she will this offseason, she'll come back a much different player.  By the end of the season, team's were simply taking away Wilhite and making the other Cumberland kids beat them.  Hawkins has a huge opportunity here as defenses will continue to load up on Wilhite, and Hawkins will get touches in space with opportunities to attack the rim or hit open threes.   Bella Winingham, ‘26, White County – I'm really interested to see how much better this kid gets.  Coach Dodgen LOVES to shoot the 3….and he'll give her the greenest light possible.  Losing Reed means there are a lot of buckets that will need to be picked up, and Winningham will have the opportunity to fill a bigger scoring load.  If she can add the ability to attack long closeouts off the bounce, watch out!   Addison Howard, ‘25, Stone Memorial - She had a huge postseason as they upset a few teams, and she's carried her high level of play directly over to the AAU season this spring.  She has a chance to have a special senior year for Stone.   Meade:   I completely agree with Dycus. We can list every single team here. The region is truly loaded with talent! I'll add in a few more names.   Chloe Vanvranken ‘26, Dekalb County    [player_tooltip player_id='518128' first='Lakelyn' last='Grasty'], ‘26 White County   [player_tooltip player_id='816597' first='Taylor' last='Dolente'], ‘26 Upperman   Simply put, go watch all of the above names and the teams in this region.    Region's Most Fun Team to Cover   Dycus:   I'm just a sucker for well coached teams….so there are multiple great choices here. But watching White County's dominance in the regular season was fun. They had a bit of everything: high level D in the full and half court, interior scoring, 3 point shooting, veterans, young kids. They return a lot of talent next year, and I didn't even mention [player_tooltip player_id='899859' first='Gracie' last='Clark'] or [player_tooltip player_id='518128' first='Lakelyn' last='Grasty'].   Meade:   I can agree with White County. However, I'll add Upperman here. Look at what Upperman was able to accomplish! Congratulations to the coaching staff and the team. I also love watching well coached teams and the athletes that truly lock in!